http://boards.weddingbee.com/ Weddingbee Boards Topic: OH MY GOODNESS! So sad and scary! (Flu shot reaction) en Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:16:19 +0000 http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-451547 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:18:56 +0000 pansyshell 451547@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>@rosychicklet: I was supposed to get the seasonal flu shot at work but they cancelled. We can't get them in PA...There is such a shortage on both the seasonal and the H1N1 that it is almost impossible to get them. So as everyone is saying that you should get them and it would be nice, in some areas it's just impossible even if we wanted to, which is really sad and frustrating.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-451543 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:15:09 +0000 rosychicklet 451543@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>All the hubub and sensationalism around vaccine complications really irk me.&nbsp; I'm a molecular biologist, my mom is a public health nurse- I'm also 8 months pregnant- I've already gotten my season flu shot (as I do every year) and my H1N1.&nbsp; Neither this year, nor any other year, have I had even the slightest reaction to the vaccine.</p> <p>For everyone who's skipping the flu shots this year- you may want to reconsider with the H1N1.&nbsp; Just because you are not in the highest risk group or don't normally get the flu, doesn't mean you aren't as risk.</p> <p>Also- just because you are willing to get yourself sick, doesn't mean that all the other people you'll spread the flu to want to be put at risk.&nbsp; <strong>Are you willing to particpate in spreading the virus to people who could get really sick and have potentially life-threatening complications?</strong>&nbsp; I certainly am not.</p> <p>And here's why you should be concerned about H1N1:</p> <p>In any given year in the US 5% to 20% of the population gets the seasonal flu (so between 15 to 60 million people); on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related complications, and about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes. 36,000 out of 15 to 60 million means less than 0.06% of people who get the seasonal flu die from it (and <strong>90% of them are over the age of 65</strong>).</p> <p>Compare that to H1N1:<br />From April 15, 2009 to July 24, 2009, states reported a total of 43,771 confirmed and probable cases of novel influenza A (H1N1) infection. Of these cases reported, 5,011 people were hospitalized and 302 people died. 300 out of 43,771 means that about 0.7% of people who get H1N1 die from it (and u<strong>nlike seasonal flu, the majority of them are under 50 years of age</strong>).</p> <p><strong>While the risk of death seems small, I refuse to put myself at risk (when a safe vaccine is available) and I refuse to participate in the transmission of this virus to others- 0.7% of which will die.</strong></p> <p>Rekiable sources for those who would like to judge for themselves:<br /><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/surveillanceqa.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/surveillanceqa.htm</a><br /><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/" rel="nofollow">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/</a><br /><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/index.htm</a></p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-451439 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:24:54 +0000 hope1275 451439@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>I'm an RN and I second Mr. Bee and especially Mrs. DG, except that I wanted to say for the record that you CANNOT get the flu from the flu shot. You can have a reaction just like to any vaccine, where you feel like you're coming down with something or just generally not feeling well, but it's because of your body's immune response to the presence of a foreign invader (even if it IS a dead one), not because you've been infected with the flu.</p> <p>The nasal spray does have a weakened form of the virus, but it can't survive in the relative warmth of your lungs because it can't replicate at that temperature. The weakened virus is adapted, however, to replicate in the relative "cold" of your nose. As a result, you can get mild-severe cold symptoms from the nasal spray. That's why someone who has asthma, for example, shouldn't get it. You can also theoretically spread the virus to someone who is severely immunocompromised, but I don't believe there's ever been an actual documented instance of this.</p> <p>Just wanted to set the record straight. :)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>ETA: Also, it takes two weeks for your body to get the full immune response to the flu shot, so if you happen to be exposed just before getting the shot or within those two weeks, you can still get the flu. But it's from environmental exposure, not the flu shot.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423174 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:38:13 +0000 Mrs. DG 423174@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>As jocelyn says, even psychogenic diseases are very real (though I don't think CP was saying that they aren't)... This woman likely has absolutely no control over what happens to her, but it would mean that the treatment modalities would be vastly different.... and it would certainly mean that the flu shot really wasn't the culprit.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423171 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:35:57 +0000 Circus Peanut 423171@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>@Mrs. DG, Like I said, I certainly know nothing about medicine, so I don't want to put my 2 cents where it doesn't belong. I just had no idea psychogenic disorders could be so severe, I thought it was more like "I'm depressed and I've been getting a lot of headaches lately."</p> <p>The fact that she can do certain things but not others, though - I work with apraxia of speech a good bit, and many children can sing but not speak, cry but not vocalize for speech, etc. - could this be similar?</p> <p>Whatever is causing this for her, I just hope and pray she improves.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423170 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:34:14 +0000 jocelyn3476 423170@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>Circus Peanut, keep in mind that psychogenic diseases are very real.&nbsp; It doesn't mean that the person is faking it.&nbsp; The symptoms are totally real.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423165 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:30:10 +0000 Mrs. DG 423165@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>CP- That was my impression when I viewed the videotape too, but without examining the woman, I couldn't say for sure...&nbsp; I certainly don't want to minimize what may have a real biological basis, but the symptoms don't exactly map to a certain area of the brain...</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423153 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:23:38 +0000 Circus Peanut 423153@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>This case was so horrifying. Yes, the benefits of the flu shot far outweigh the risks (plenty of people die of the flu each year.) Those are numbers, though, and by and large our brains aren't programmed to respond to numbers - seeing one up close and personal experience like this creates such a visceral reaction, I have to admit it's enough to potentially scare me away from the flu shot this year!</p> <p>What I found so bizarre in this whole story was that Fox news had a specialist on who claimed her dystonia was probably psychogenic, and they were using this case as a teaching subject at the University of Maryland as to how psychogenic dystonia presents.</p> <p>None of these people have actually examined the poor girl! And goodness knows I'm no medical expert, but it seems a bit far fetched that this would all be 'in her head.'&nbsp;</p> <p>I really hope and pray there's some chance she'll improve. I looked up the case and it said she was having some success with Botox injections.</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423123 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:10:48 +0000 honeybun 423123@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>The only times I've ever gotten the flu shot were last year and this year. I only got them because I started working at a hospital and it was "highly suggested" last year....required this year (unless I want to wear a mask!) I didn't have any side effects either time, except for my arm feeling like someone had hit it with a sledgehammer for a couple days afterward!&nbsp;<img src="../my-plugins/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-surprised.gif" alt="Surprised" title="Surprised" /> I've only had the flu once, and omg, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy! I really thought I was dying!!</p> http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/oh-my-goodness-so-sad-and-scary-flu-shot-reaction#post-423102 Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:43 +0000 NYCKitty 423102@http://boards.weddingbee.com/ <p>oy vey!<img src="my-plugins/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-undecided.gif" alt="Undecided" title="Undecided" /><img src="my-plugins/tinymce/jscripts/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-yell.gif" alt="Yell" title="Yell" /></p>